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The Athletes of the Week - one boy and one girl - are chosen from teams in the WPIAL and City League by the Post-Gazette scholastic sports staff. Khayla Lowe, Thomas Jefferson - Patrick Sadler, Trinity
Thursday, April 27, 2000
Khayla Lowe
SCHOOL: Thomas Jefferson.
WHO IS SHE? A hurdler for the Jaguars varsity girls' track team. Lowe, 5 feet 10, also plays on the school's volleyball team.
THIS SEASON: Is the top-ranked hurdler in the WPIAL. Recently ran a 44.9 in the 300 meter intermediate hurdles, which is 2 seconds faster than the second-best time in the event. In the 100-meter high hurdles, Lowe ran a WPIAL-best 15.0 at the Thomas Jefferson Invitational meet. She also competes in the triple jump and is ranked seventh with a jump of 35-8. Lowe is the anchor of the team's 1,600 meter relay team, which is ranked fourth in the WPIAL.
CAREER: Last season as a sophomore, Lowe finished third in the WPIAL in the triple jump and fifth in the high hurdles.
GOOD OUT OF BAD: Lowe was a top long jumper and hurdler last year before an injury to her right quadriceps muscle forced her to change her approach. Rather than sit out, she found that the injured muscle did not bother her as much when she competed in the triple jump, so she switched events. Because she had so much success in the triple jump after only one season, she decided to stick with it and make it one of her main events.
"It was a strange situation for me," Lowe said, "because I loved long jumping. But I couldn't do it without pain and didn't want to sit out completely. My coaches would like me to long jump more, but I want to concentrate on the triple jump."
MUSICALLY GIFTED: Lowe is a talented musician who has been playing the piano since the second grade and is active in the school's choir. She has a minor in music and hopes to compose music and direct her own choir. She also has aspirations of getting her master's degree and becoming a college professor and teach music.
GOOD STUDENT: A fixture on the honor roll, Lowe hopes to attend a top academic college and major in graphic arts or graphic design.
-- By Paul Zeise
Patrick Sadler
SCHOOL: Trinity.
WHO IS HE? A 6-foot, 190-pound pitcher/shortstop/outfielder on the Hillers' baseball team. Sadler is considered among the top juniors in the state.
THE PAST WEEK: Sadler was 4 for 4 with two home runs and a double in a 14-4 victory over Peters Township Tuesday. In an 11-1 victory over McGuffey last Wednesday, Sadler was the winning pitcher, had eight strikeouts and a two-run homer.
SEASON: Sadler is one of the top hitters in the WPIAL with a .612 average (19 for 31). He has seven doubles, one triple and two home runs. He has helped Trinity to a 10-1 record and a 4-0 mark in WPIAL Class AAA Section 6.
CAREER: Sadler has been on the varsity since his freshman year. He started seven games at catcher as a ninth-grader. As a sophomore, he hit .491 with six home runs and 28 RBIs.
ARMED WITH POWER: Major-league scouts and Division I college coaches are showing plenty of interest in Sadler. The reason is his right arm. Sadler's pitches are regularly clocked at 87-89 mph. He said his pitches have been been clocked sometimes over 90.
"We don't have a radar gun, but I still play some baseball myself, and I'm sure he does reach 90 miles an hour," said Trinity Coach Bill Hughes. "When scouts see somebody throw 90, their eyes light up."
Sadler struck out 62 in 351/3 innings last season, and he is averaging more than two strikeouts an inning this year. But pitcher isn't necessarily Sadler's best position.
"He's one of the better fielding shortstops around," Hughes said.
AMONG THE ELITE: Sadler has been chosen to play for the U.S. junior team (17- and 18-year-olds) in the Junior Pan American Games that start next week in Mexico. This is the same team Mt. Lebanon star Josh Wilson played for last year. Wilson was a third-round draft pick of the Florida Marlins.
SHOULD HE STAY OR GO?: Sadler leaves for Mexico Saturday and will be gone for two weeks. Trinity has a chance to win a section title, but Sadler will miss three section games.
"I feel bad for the other kids if we don't win the section," Hughes said. "But you don't win games with just one player anyway. This is a great opportunity for him."
Sadler said: "It was a tough decision at first, but I figured it could really help out my future. Plus, I knew if we make the playoffs, I'd be back in time."
-- By Mike White
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